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Device communication interface system

a technology of communication interface and device, applied in the direction of electric digital data processing, instruments, etc., can solve the problems of user's pc not being able to utilize the pc, requiring a lot of resources,

Active Publication Date: 2008-05-29
SONY CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a solution to the problem of requiring a computer in the same area as the input and output devices when using a USB device server. The invention is a device communication interface apparatus that includes an input and output interface, a communication interface, a memory, and a processor. The processor has a device driver acquisition function, a network communication function, and a device input and output function. The device communication interface apparatus can be connected to a mobile terminal or an information processing server. The invention allows for easy installation and use of input and output devices without the need for a computer in the same area.

Problems solved by technology

However, this causes a problem that a lot of resources are required when a plural of device drivers for devices connected to the PC are stored in local resources in advance.
Moreover, if a complete set of hardware including the PC itself, input device and output device is not prepared, a user of the PC can not utilize the PC.

Method used

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Examples

Experimental program
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first embodiment

(1) Device Constitution

[0034]FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a device communication interface apparatus 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The device communication interface apparatus 10 comprises an input and output interface 1 to be connected to an external device 20. The input and output interface 1 comprises a connector compatible with a connector specification of the device 20. The input and output interface 1 is connected to a processor 2. The processor 2 is prepared as, for example, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and has a device driver acquisition function, a network communication function and a device input and output function.

[0035]The device driver acquisition function is a function to acquire a device driver from a server on a communication network 50 for the device 20 connected to the input and output interface 1. In the present embodiment, the device driver acquisition function determines whether a device driver correspon...

second embodiment

[0056]In a second embodiment of the present invention, a user ID has been associated with a unique ID (or network identifier information) of the device communication interface apparatus 10, and only device communication interface apparatuses available to a given user are associated with each other, so that this user uses these device communication interface apparatuses.

[0057]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing one example of a table that includes correspondence between unique IDs of the device communication interface apparatuses 10 and user IDs of users permitted to use the device communication interface apparatuses 10 in the second embodiment. This table is stored in the storage means in the information processing server 30. In the table shown in FIG. 4, one or more user IDs is / are registered as being associated with the unique ID of the device communication interface apparatus 10.

[0058]For a given user, two device communication interface apparatuses 10 are selected from among a plurality ...

third embodiment

[0063]In a third embodiment of the present invention, an owner ID unique to an owner (or an administrator) of a device communication interface apparatus 10 is associated and registered with a unique ID (or network identifier information) of the device communication interface apparatus 10, and the owner registers users permitted to use the device 10.

[0064]FIG. 5 is a diagram showing one example of a table that includes correspondence among unique IDs of device communication interface apparatuses 10, owner IDs of owners of the apparatuses 10, and user IDs of users permitted to the device communication interface apparatuses 10. The owner ID may be an owner's user ID or an ID other than the user ID in the third embodiment.

[0065]In the same manner as in the second embodiment, for a given user, two device communication interface apparatuses 10 are selected from among the plurality of available device communication interface apparatuses 10 through referencing the table shown in FIG. 5. Thu...

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PUM

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Abstract

The device communication interface obtains a device driver corresponding to a device connected to the input and output interface from a server on a communication network via a communication interface, and outputs information, which is input via the input and output interface and the device driver from the device, via the communication interface to the server on the communication network, and / or outputs information, which is received via the communication interface from a server on the communication network, via the device driver and the input and output interface to the device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a device communication interface system.BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY[0002]Keyboards, monitor displays and other devices for PCs are connected to device interfaces placed in PC bodies itself. In the PC bodies, device drivers compatible with an OS (operating system) are stored in advance. By using these device drivers, a processing device in a PC body can obtain input from an input device and can provide output to an output device.[0003]However, this causes a problem that a lot of resources are required when a plural of device drivers for devices connected to the PC are stored in local resources in advance. Moreover, if a complete set of hardware including the PC itself, input device and output device is not prepared, a user of the PC can not utilize the PC.[0004]An apparatus called a USB (universal serial bus) device server has been developed. The USB device server enables a plurality of PCs to share input devices and output devices (see...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G06F13/00
CPCG06F13/102
Inventor FUJITA, TAKESHIKAWACHI, TSUTOMUOGAWA, KEIICHI
Owner SONY CORP